


Feelin Feline

by charliepoet13



Series: Feline Tendencies [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: But then is going to go back to fluff, F/M, Feline fic, Fluff, I promise, Loke flirts, Lucy comforting Loke, SO MUCH FLUFF, Somehow has also become a little bit angsty, because honestly I love Loke as a cat, so i guess a general warning for that, somehow gained a plot, was originally meant to be crack without plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-08-05 21:51:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16375643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charliepoet13/pseuds/charliepoet13
Summary: As Loke and Lucy become more comfortable in themselves and each other, a small part of Loke that he's been trying to hide,comes out to play.





	1. Purring

**Author's Note:**

> I know I promised more then just Lolu so I will announce right here I am writing a Gruvia prompt, actually after this my fic uploading should calm down as I have work.

It was a long time coming, much too long if you asked certain members of the Fairytail guild, but finally, after a lot of pining, Lucy and Loke got together. What happened next was a whirlwind of dates, thanks to Loke deciding he needed to take her everywhere, nights alone and jobs taken together. He could be spotted at the guild a lot more often now, something his friends were happy about, Gray and Natsu never saying no to a spar or two. After a few years, emotions surged again as they got married, a good thing too as the husband wasn't going to wait any longer to be able to call the bride his wife. It led to a honeymoon abroad, that the couple refused to give details on, blushing whenever they think of it. And so, life moved on.

The light shining in the window pulled her from her sleep, she opened her eyes to find herself laying in his arms. He had been staying over more and more since their confession, he claimed that he was fine, that he wasn't in pain, but it always worried her in the back of her mind. She looked up to his sleeping face and smiled, he seemed so innocent, so pure like this, she snorted at the thought. Loke? Pure? Yeah right. She felt a surge of affection for her lion pass through her and grinned as she kissed his chin, cheeks, lips. She felt them turn upwards as he slowly woke up, lazily kissing her back.

“Well if this is going to be what I wake up to every time, remind me to sleep with you more often”

She groaned at the lame attempt of a flirt, putting her head back on his chest, feeling it rise and fall as he laughed.

“Good morning Lucy”

“Morning, you idiot”

He seemed unfazed by the insult as he cuddled her, nuzzling her cheek. His legs entwined with hers and she 'reluctantly' gave in to his pleas for attention. She brought her hands to his face, rubbing his cheeks and getting a dopey grin in response, before running her hands through his hair, rubbing his head. They stayed like that for a few moments before she heard a low rumble. She thought she was just imagining things but the sound persisted and she recalled that this wasn't the first time she had heard this noise. Recently, whenever she was relaxing at home, outside, or at the guild, she would sometimes hear a low rumble in the background, only just there. Curious as to what it could possibly be, she focused in on it, strangely it sounded a bit like a cat's purr? She was pretty sure Natsu and Happy hadn't broken in again, the last time they caught her and her spirit in a...precarious...position and so had sworn of surprise visits. She looked around, just to be safe, before Loke's tugging pulled her attention back to him. Decidedly more awake now, she realised Loke’s chest was vibrating, no way….it couldn't be...right?

“...Are you purring?”

He froze and the sound stopped immediately, confirming her suspicions. Flustered with his actions, he made to back away, but her arms wrapped around him, trapping him. When he faced her again, she wasn't expecting the look of panic. She smiled gently at him, rubbing his back in a circular motion, telling him she was here. He calmed slightly, biting his lip, before looking her in the eye.

“Yes I, really unfortunately, purr, It's so embarrassing. " She wanted to argue against that point, but she had a feeling that if she didn't let him talk, he would stop talking about this altogether. "All spirits have a physical connection to whatever they represent, some more than others. Taurus and Capricorn for example, they are on a very different scale than Aries, who just has the horns and wool coat of a sheep, I'm even lower on that scale I suppose. I don't have cat ears or a tail,obviously, but when i’m extremely happy or at ease,I purr. I’m usually able to hold it back though" He frowned at that, mentally trying to figure out what went wrong. "But it’s been really hard to keep it all back when i'm around you, though at least that's not hard to guess why. I don't want the others to know, please Lucy. I'm not ready for them to know about this...weird side to me”

At ease huh? She felt herself swell up with joy that he felt so relaxed around her, she had to do something about his apparent shame though. The fact the lion spirit purred really shouldn't be that big a shock, it seemed almost a natural conclusion, the more she played around with it in her mind, the more she wondered why she hadn't thought about this sooner.

“Then it will be our little secret, I promise Loke. But, If I have to be honest with you, I love your purr, I think it's really cute”

His whole being shook with that revelation, his blush completely enveloping his face in a deep scarlet, eyes wide with shock. He seemed confused as to what to say, how to respond, but his being was always eager to please her, so the rumble started up again, louder than before, louder than she had ever heard it. He looked aghast, muttering something about a betrayal. She shook her head, moved her hands back into Loke’s hair, relishing in the purr that sounded from her attention.  He seemed to give up resisting it, looking at her in slight awe, what could have brought on this reaction? Still that was a question for another time she felt, he was overwhelmed enough already and they hadn't even gotten out of bed yet! She kissed him soundly, surprised that she enjoyed the vibration on her lips.

“Please don't hide any part of you from me again, ok?”

  
He looked reluctant before he nodded.

"Fine I won't stop this feline part of me, my cat like instincts, but you're not allowed to regret this ok?"

"I won't Loke, I promise"

Satisfied with her answer, he laid his head back down on the bed, still trying to hide the blush on his face. Snuggling up to him, she rested her head on his chest, feeling the sound travel around and through her. She was so comfortable, so relaxed, that she decided that whatever she had planned that day, could wait a little while longer.


	2. Kneading and licking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more of Loke's quirks start to show themselves, though one may be a bit weirder than the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These were both a bit small to be a full chapter on their own, but I didn't want to just throw them out so here you go.

A week had passed since her discovery of her spirits more animalistic side and she still loved to indulge in Loke's purr. Honestly she wasn't sure if she would ever tire of it. As promised she hadn't told the others, so she tried to keep physical affection to a minimum while around them, but when they were alone? All gloves were off, it was such a soothing sound, one that helped her drift off on stressful nights, Loke seemed thankful that she was normalising it for him too.

It's how she found herself splayed out on his chest, early in the morning, too awake to sleep, too tired to leave just yet. She had been experimenting with her touches, seeing where he liked the most, judging by how loud his purr, and how dopey his smile, would get.

If he would ever be honest with her, it was really overwhelming him, the acceptance and love he felt from her, but he just wasn't ready to be that corny. Give him some credit.

Her hands trailed up through his hair lazily, earning a grin and the start of the small rumble. She rested her head on his chest, enjoying the vibrations going through her. She left his hair, moving down to hold his head in her hands, rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs.

"Mmm Lucy, keep that up please"

His voice was smooth as butter, his purr deepened it and she had no reason to fight him on this. She continued her ministrations, chuckling as she jokingly scratched under his chin. She wasn't expecting the rumble to double in volume, nor the sudden pressure at her back. It was like something was pushing continuously against her. She stopped as she turned her head, surprised to see Loke grabbing at her, opening and closing his fists as he pushed them into her back. She turned back to him, confused and about to ask what in the world he was doing, when he nuzzled her, rubbing his cheek against her own in a happy display of affection, and then she remembered. She was dealing with someone who was essentially an oversized lion cub, so it was obvious what he was doing, and she coo'ed at him teasingly.

"Loke, you're kneading me! That's so adorable!"

He paused, looking round her to stare at his own hands, before groaning and flopping his head back onto the bed, rather dramatic of him really.

"...Just when I was starting to relax, it gets worse"

She frowned, really? Hadn't she made it pretty clear she didn't care?

"It's fine Loke, didn't you want to knead me?"

"No!...Well yes, I guess. But it wasn't conscious, I didn't even know my hands were moving, I was too focused on you"

If it wasn't for his pout, she might have blushed at that, as it was, they both looked rather put out. She sighed but moved a herself a little further down, making his hands rest further up her back, in between her shoulder blades. If he was ever going to be comfortable with this side of himself, she was going to have to make it as normal as possible.

"Well if you're going to knead me, how about starting there? A good massage is a great way to start the day"

He stared at her incredulously as she smiled at him, patient and understanding. He seemed unsure, but slowly he started up his kneading again and it felt nice. Right there in that spot, it was like he was rubbing any potential stress away. She moaned in appreciation, relaxing fully against him, encouraging him. He slowly became more confident in the situation, managing a flirty smirk.

"Why Lucy, if I had known this would get you to moan in pleasure for me, I would have shown you years ago, it's such a lovely sound"

She let out a groan, cursing him as he laughed,but she was thankful for it, he was opening up to her more and more. The fact he could flirt about this was more proof he was making steps in the right direction, so she would let him off with it, just this once. 

 

 

He was such a happy lion. Chilling on their sofa, he will never get over the fact they owned a home together, while Lucy was in the kitchen. She had insisted on treating him to some of her cooking, as a reward for always helping her, he had argued against it, but she was stubborn when she wanted to be. So he relaxed, enjoying the lovely scents coming from the kitchen and allowed himself to admit he was excited, she was cooking specifically for him after all, he loved her and her kindness so much. He was pretty sure she was the best chef in the world too, no bias obviously, so he couldn't deny he was looking forward to it. His mind wondered as he waited, what in the world could she be making though? It was taking a- He heard a sudden hiss of pain, followed by curse words and a clatter of noise. Was she in trouble?! He shot up, legs moving on their own in a need to get to her, he raced to the kitchen, more than slightly worried, as he stumbled in.

“Lucy! Are you ok?!”

She turned to face him and he immediately zeroed in on her. _Oh man was that blood on her hand? On the floor? She's crying! What happened?_ His mind was a mess as he quickly moved over to check on her, gently taking her hand in his.

“Hey, calm down Loke, it’s just a cut, see? A nasty one I admit, but nothing life threatening. I nicked myself when cutting onions”

He finally focused on her incredibly grievous wound and realised, it was just a cut down the side of her finger. He sighed in relief, feeling his shoulders slump as fear left him, that had been quite the overreaction on his part, which was more than a little mortifying. It was still bleeding a bit though, he felt something deep inside him demand that he  do something about that. He moved his face closer to her hand, causing her to look at him curiously. He ignored her though as he licked slowly up her finger, trying to clean away the blood. It seemed the right thing to do so he continued licking the cut, lapping at it over and over, until the blood was gone and the cut stopped bleeding. He then kissed it for good measure. Proud of himself for helping out like the good spirit he was. He pulled back to grin at Lucy, who was looking at him stunned, mouth agape, her hand had flopped in his grip, she seemed to have no idea what to do next. Her reaction confused him until her remembered that, Oh, right, that was a lion thing not a human thing. Oh god, she probably thought he was a creep, well if there was ever a reason for her to start thinking about maybe getting those divorce papers after all. He saw her blush and knew his face was just as red, he quickly let go of her hand and started to fidget.

“Uh, anyway, glad to know you’re fine Lucy, um…I’m just gonna go wait in the living room right yeah...um don't forget to put a plaster on that”

He knew he was a coward, retreating the way he was, flustered and stammering, but he really didn't know how to answer Lucy’s obvious questions right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: Ok, calm down now, don't want to spam the Fairytail and Lolu fans with your works, also you have a job you know?  
> Also me: *writes this*


	3. Catnip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loke accidentally gets into the good stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obligatory Catnip chapter!  
> Oh who am I kidding? I enjoyed writing this.

Loke had been acting weird with her since that… licking episode. She got flustered remembering it, almost falling into the river flowing by her home in her unbalanced state. Plue started panicking and she had to come away from the side to calm the little spirit down. He could be such a worrywart when he wanted to be. As she stroked his head, soothing him, she thought back to the other spirit on her mind. Trying to get him to stand within a foot of her was a challenge at the moment, what was going on with him? She sighed and continued to walk home, Plue immediately falling into step with her, cheerful again. It brought a smile to her face, his happiness was always infectious. She stopped outside her home feeling a little happier.

“Thanks for walking home with me Plue, I know you haven’t had to in a while but everyone at the guilds busy and Loke…well you would probably know what's up with him more than me”

She couldn't stand the pitying look he sent her, so she reached into her pocket and pulled out a lollypop. She undid the wrapper and handed it to him.

“Here, as a thank you for keeping me from being lonely”

Plue let out a cheerful chirp before taking the lolly and stuffing it in his mouth. Really he was too easy to please. She waved goodbye as she closed his gate, smiling, she turned to open her door, deciding to not let it plague her mind anymore

“LUCY!”

She jumped, swirling around, to see Natsu rushing to her, stopping just short of crashing into her. He shoved a small box into her and she just barely held onto it.

“Natsu? Are you ok? I thought you and Happy were with Lisanna?”

The two of them had gotten together a year or so after herself and Loke, after Natsu had finally calmed down and actually decided to start looking for a girlfriend. Him and Lisanna made a cute couple she thought. He held up a hand, trying to catch his breath, she gave him a moment before he straightened himself, pouting slightly.

“Lisanna got us both gifts" He started to not so subtly showed off a Fairytail necklace he was wearing, gold outlined the guild emblem, while the symbol itself was a deep red. It looked nice on him."But I don't think Happy should have his, he’s gone a bit loopy, I need to go back so he doesn’t break anything, but can you keep it here? Thanks!”

Before she could even respond he gave her a huge grin and a thumbs up, before shooting off back where he came from. He was a whirlwind, one that left her completely confused. She definitely needed a warm drink and sit down, just to work this all out. She was also curious as to what was in the box so she once more went to her door. She actually got to open it this time and went inside, locking the door behind her.

Taking off her shoes and heading into her living room, intent on setting the box down, she was instead surprised by a sheepish visitor. Loke was sat on her couch, looking away from her. He seemed like he was being shy and incredibly awkward. Well after the weirdness and disappointments of the day she wasn't going to put up with that. She moved over to stand by him, he still wouldn't look at her. Her frustration flared.

“Loke, do you need something? Because I thought you were busy today?”

He flinched and she almost felt bad for him, almost. He finally turned to look at her, downtrodden expression pulling at her heart a little.

“I…I came to say sorry”

“For what? Avoiding me like the plague?”

She should feel bad she was being snappy with him, but come on now,what was the matter with him? He rubbed the back of his neck, his nerves clearly starting to get the better of him. Yeah she really should cool off him.

“Well yes for that too...but mainly because I weirded you out”

“...Excuse me?”

He took a deep sigh, readying himself for something, shoulders tense as he spoke.

“The other day, what I did…It was a weird reaction to a cut. I know it was. Then you acted flustered around me and I feel like I ruined the evening a little. I hadn’t meant to do that, it just…a part of me just wanted to…” He let out a groan of frustration, upset that he was unable to voice how he felt. “I wanted to help not freak you out and i’m sorry!”

He turned away from her, was he embarrassed? Had all this been because he couldn't face the fact he had licked her? Yes, that had been a bit strange, but at this point she was used to strange, strange came with being a member of Fairytail after all. She sighed, sitting right by him, causing him to flinch. She put the box on the table in front of them and put a hand on his knee, calming him down.

“Loke, it’s ok, I know you wanted to help. Strangely enough it did work, the cut stopped bleeding and I was able to put a plaster on no problem! In fact, it healed up pretty quickly, so maybe you really did help? Anyway, surely it was weirder for you, having to taste my blood?”

He frowned, clearly trying to remember. He sat there, thinking for a moment, before giving a halfhearted shrug and shake of his head.

“I’m going to be honest and say I didn't register the taste, I was just following a deep instinct, I'm guessing it was my feline side coming out to play again, asking me to help you.”

Of course he hadn't registered it, she was honestly a little relieved at that.

“Well there you go then, you weren’t being creepy about it, so it’s fine, lighten up a bit will you? It was unexpected but fine”

He finally relaxed, a small smile on his face and he moved to lean on her, an arm coming round to hold her. She leaned on him, relaxing into him, letting him pull her in close. They stayed like that for a bit, just soaking in the others company, in what they had been missing these last few days. Suddenly, he sniffed the air,  which may have been creepy if he was still looking at her. His attention had turned to the box on the table, she was surprised to see he was shaking slightly, his grip on her tightening. An inner battle seemed to play out in his mind, it danced across his eyes, before his smile turned into a mischievous grin.

“You know, it was Plue who told me you had returned home, that you were upset. While that was nice of him to ask me to cheer you up, I did notice he had a gift from you. This wouldn't happen to be for me would it? Because really that’s too kind of you”

Oh, with all the talking and cuddling she had forgotten about the box, well what could the harm be in giving it to Loke? Natsu didn't seem to want the mysterious box anymore.

“You know what it is?”

He nodded so quickly she was sure his head was going to come right off. He tapped the side of his nose, a large cheesy grin on his face.

“The nose knows ya know?”

Ok that was dorky, even for him, still if he was so excited about it... Well, what was the worst that could happen?

“Sure, it’s yours, i’m going to make myself a drink ok?”

“Ok, my beautiful princess”

Alright, she had to go before she melted into a puddle of goo. She got up, sending him one last smile. The look she got in return was positively lovesick, he looked so dopey it was cute, she could feel her face heating up. She rushed to the kitchen to get a drink to cool herself down. She could hear a small voice in her mind, that sounded suspiciously like Erza, telling her that she was acting rather thirsty. Deciding against her planned hot drink, she poured some cool tap water, hoping to calm herself down. After chugging it down, and feeling slightly more refreshed, she heard a bang coming from the living room. What in the world was that lion up to? She put her cup in the sink to wash later and started to walk back to Loke. As she got closer she heard a rumble, she paused, listening intently, and realised it was a purr. Huh, he must really be happy to purr like that, usually he was so self conscious about it, she usually had to try really hard to get him to sound like that. She told herself that she wasn't upset some mysterious object made him more relaxed then she did.

Curiosity got the better of her and she walked into the living room, she couldn't spot him on the couch, so walked deeper into the room. There he was, laying on his back, with the most peaceful, joyous look on his face. The box laid open beside him and something was spread all around the floor, what was that? She didn't recognise the strange powder he was laying in. She walked over to him, alerting him to her presence and causing him to look around from where he lay. The moment he spotted her coming over, somehow, the purr got louder, he reached out a hand for her, grabbing at the air. Taking the desperate invitation, she sat by him, her legs stretched out. The moment she was comfortable he moved his head to her lap, pawing at her leg and nuzzling her thighs.

“You’re in a happy mood aren’t you? Are you ok Loke?”

“Of course I am Luuucccyy” Oh god her name came out like a purr, that was too adorable. “My amazing master got me catnip, because i’m such a good spirit”

Catnip? That explained the mess at least, and why Happy had apparently gone crazy, but this was Loke, a celestial spirit, not a- oh, right.

“You’re affected by catnip?” 

“Mmmhhmmm, it’s so good”

He started nodding enthusiastically nodding against her thigh, but she was a bit too busy panicking to register him properly. Oh, she was the worst owner ever, she had accidentally drugged her spirit! She hadn't know what was in the box sure, but that didn't matter! He was very clearly high out of his mind, oh joy. Ok, she would have to clean this all up pronto, otherwise he would never come down and- She felt a tug on her arm and looked down. Loke was on his back, pulling on her to join him. She tried to pull back, to escape, but he quickly caught on.

“Nooooo Lucy, don't go, don't leave me alone!”

She froze, he sounded so sad, so hurt, it touched something deep inside her, causing her to stop her resistance. Distracted, she unfortunately she forgot felines were sneaky beings. With a yell of triumph he pulled her down onto him, hugging her close to his chest. Why this little- She lifted her head to glare at him, but  he seemed unfazed, it just prompted him to rub his cheek against hers, purring loudly, proud of himself and thoroughly appeased by her presence. She felt grabbing at her back, she tilted her head so she could see what he was doing. Of course he was kneading her, pleased kitty that he was, of course. Ok that was adorable, but now was not the time for this. A light headbutt brought her attention back to him, when had he taken his sunglasses off? Why had he taken them off? She was now looking into his eyes, somehow constricted and focused on her, more catlike, was that why? Did they affect his eyesight like this?. She hoped that all this was a good thing, she would really have to read up on this cat behaviour stuff. How they react to catnip, and how to deal with it, being at the top of her list of things to read.

“Pet me”

What? Pet him? Where? She felt herself raise a hand but then paused, confused as to what he actually wanted from her. Thankfully he answered her, rubbing his head against her hand insistently. Her fingers buried into his hair, rubbing his head. He let out a whine of pure bliss, relaxing and bringing his head down. She rested her hands behind his head, continuing her rubbing. She felt him wiggle, his legs squirming as he purred happily, encouraging her to continue, needing her to. His kneading continued, a type of content approval. Alright, an extra demanding, extra affectionate Loke, this was something she could handle, she hoped.

“Love, love, looove it when you pet me. Pet me more often”

Now that was something to remember, he was incredibly honest when on catnip, honest about who he was, want he wanted and how he wanted to behave. Was that how it affected cats? or was it because it's Loke? Maybe researching this wouldn't be too helpful after all. She had already known the petting thing, her lion loved physical touch, but him admitting he enjoyed anything cat like? Now that was rare! Thankfully for him though, she was happy to give him all the attention he desired. His hands came back round to her shoulders, pushing up against her gently, asking her to move. 

“What's the matter Loke?”

“Belly rubs! You’ve never given me belly rubs”

It came out as more of a whine then a statement. Is this something he had actually ever wanted? Or just something his catnip fuelled mind came up with? Whichever it was, she decided she might as well go with it, whatever will make his trip a pleasant one. The situation already was a little crazy, might as well go with it, or so she told herself. She moved back to sit on his hips, looking down to face him as he stared at her expectantly. Suddenly the realisation that she was going to rub Loke’s belly hit her and she burned up. This was ridiculous! She would have to give herself a scolding later, she’s had more intimate encounters than this with this man for crying out loud. Rubbing his belly should be no big deal...but he was looking at her with such big, hopeful eyes and oh no she felt like a monster.

Her hands went under his shirt and she started to rub his belly. She wasn't expecting the loud hum of approval that came from him. He was starting to vibrate, getting incredibly excited by her attention. She couldn't help but chuckle as his eyes dilated, his pupils widening as he grinned up at her. He looked so sweet, so she continued. She rubbed his belly in little circles, trying to keep her focus on the one area so it didn't get too weird. He started pawing the air, kicking underneath her, pleased by her actions and doing his best to show it. She was just starting to maybe get used to this strange scenario, when he stopped still, as if struck by another thought. She paused when he lifted his head up to look her at her directly, with quite the determined look on his face.

“Play with me Lucy! I have so much energy now!”

His eyes lit up, grinning like a loon. Where in the world was his mind now? She really couldn't keep up with him. This wasn't as easy as she had first thought, she was sure cats were either really affectionate or really playful when on catnip, not both? She was either wrong, or Loke was a special case, it could be either.

“Play with you?”

He nodded, surprising her when he quickly sat up. He caught her, stabilising her.

“Yeah….you have no toys though”

Oh she begged to differ...though he probably didn't mean those types of toys, not in current context anyway. He hummed in her ear, not really helping her thought patterns.

“I know!....catch me!”

“”Wha-”

He moved up from under her, jumping up quickly and causing her to fall back. Not noticing the fact he left her on her behind, he ran off somewhere, but she wasn't really paying much attention, the pain she felt saw to that. She hissed and stayed still, letting her body calm down it's screaming before finally getting up. She surveyed the mess, catnip strewn all across the floor and in her rug, this was going to take some time to clean. Time was something she didn't really have if the suspicious noises from her bedroom were any indication. She sighed as she got up, this was definitely tiring her out, trying to work out his mind and keep up with him.

Still she needed to keep an eye on him while he was like this, so she moved to her bedroom door, and with great trepidation, looked in. She was unable to spot him at first, it was his childish giggling that finally gave him away. She looked up and there he was, somehow laid out on top of her wardrobe, a smug grin of victory on his face despite how stupid he looked. He was even whispering excitedly to himself.

“Ha! She can’t get me now! I win!”

Well maybe not whispering, maybe more a quiet yell. She was pretty sure if he had a tail it would be swaying with joy right now. She needed to get him down though, before he either hurt himself, broke something, or both. If he thought he was being a sneaky kitty, she could be much sneakier. She turned away from him, pretending to have not spotted him.

“Oh well, I guess if I can't find Loke, I can't give him all my love and snuggles”

She saw him flinch in the corner of her eye, sitting up on top of the wardrobe, listening intently. She allowed herself a small smile, time to go in for the kill.

“I guess i’ll just have to adopt a new cat to cuddle with, to play with, to give all my love to-”

“No!”

He jumped off the wardrobe toward her, how had she not expected that. It took all her years of fighting to be able to quickly turn and catch him as he lunged at her. Well catch was generous, he was half on her shoulder, flailing as he tried to get into a better position. “Loke, could you stay still? Please!” It took a bit of wrangling, but she convinced him to bring his legs down slightly, to wrap around her stomach, So she could carry him in a sitting position against her. One of her arms around his back and the other under his butt, for support. God he was heavier than he looked, she couldn't keep this up for long. He hugged her neck, nuzzling her frantically.

“Lucy, i’m here now! So no other cats! Only me!”

OK, now she really couldn't help but laugh, her husband getting jealous over a make believe cat was just...oh and he was pouting at her, that was brilliant.

“Loke, there was no other cat, I saw you on the wardrobe and lied to trick you into coming down”

He looked alarmed at her, seemingly surprised that she could fool him like that.

“Lucy! That was meaaaann, I thought you were replacing me”

He buried his face in her neck in a huff, she started to rub soothing circles on his back in hopes of calming him.

“I know it was Loke, i’m sorry, but we are still playing aren’t we? And i’ve caught you so I win, so that means I get a prize now right?”

He stiffened in her grasp, but it was too late, she moved to her bed and unceremoniously dropped him onto it, earning her a yelp of surprise. She smirked down at him.

“So, I guess cats don't always land on their feet, huh Loke?”

He glared up at her, huffing before making a move to get off the bed. She sat down by him, placing a hand on his leg to stop him.

“No Loke, I won and I want us to stay in here”

If he was ever to become sane again, or at least as sane as her spirit got, she needed him out the living room and away from the catnip. He frowned at her, not happy about having his exploration time cut down.

“But I want to play!”

“But i want snuggles Loke, do you really not want to cuddle me?”

He paused at that, giving it a long think over. Once more an inner battle raged in him, this time over the pros and cons of Play vs snuggles, he nodded firmly, deciding in the end he did want cuddles and hugged her tightly. This was much better, much more manageable, if she could keep him in here, it would all be ok. Wait why was he pressing his nose into her neck? was he sniffing her?

“Lucy, you smell so good”

He started sniffing up her neck and she belatedly realised she had also laid in that stupid catnip hadn't she? He pushed her against the bed, rather roughly she thought. So she was laying on her back, he was on all fours, hovering over her with a manic grin on his face. He nuzzled her, taking in a breath and humming. He flopped down, relaxing on her and she really had no idea what to do next. How should she react to this? Well, it was only sniffing she supposed, he was just acting like a stupid feline, but she really wasn't sure how much more of this she could put up with. She might snap at him soon if this kept up. She was brought out of her thoughts by a sensation on her cheek. She looked up at him, to catch him licking up her cheek. Oh yes, this was perfectly normal wasn't it?!

“Loke what are you doing?!”

“Taste so good too Lucy!”

He continued his lapping, his hands moved to her hair, kneading her head. It would usually have been so relaxing what a shame. She moved her head, surprised when he let out an annoyed grumble, it sounded almost like a growl.

“No licking me Loke”

He frowned at her, letting out a small huff of protest. 

"But-”

“No buts, no licking or no cuddles”

She had to be firm with him on this, you gave him an inch he took a mile. He pouted at her, resting his head on her chest to look up at her. But no, not even Kitty cat eyes were going to change her stance on this. He hummed, thinking it over.

“......can i play with your hair?”

This was probably the best she was going to get, she sighed and she wrapped her arms around him to hug him gently.

“Sure Loke, you can play with my hair”

He grinned at her, his hands going back into her hair, flexing his fingers and looking amazed as they curled round the golden strands. She was going to have so many knots in it, she groaned thinking about the task of brushing it. He paused, before starting to knead her instead, massaging her head. She relaxed back against the bed, humming in appreciation as she felt her stress melt away. He relaxed his head on the crook of her neck.

“I’m a good spirit, right Lucy? A good cat”

She nodded against him, rubbing his back. Thinking about it, this whole thing really could have been worse.

“A very good cat, I hear Happy’s tearing up things, though of course he would get excitable using catnip”

“.....I’m better than Happy? You don't need anyone else?”

He was looking at her, so hopeful, was he really that worried about getting replaced by another cat? Geez, how could he be so annoying yet so adorable at the same time?

“Yes, you are. You’re the only feline I want living with me”

His purring rumbled loudly throughout the room as he closed his eyes, a content smile on his face, he honestly looked so cute, it was almost worth all the hassle. His kneading continued, though slower now, he looked like he was to drop off. She clearly wasn't going anywhere anytime soon either, his death like grip on her saw to that. She resigned herself to her fate. closing her eyes, figuring she might as well nap before tidying all the mess in the living room. It took a bit, him laying on her like a sack of potatoes wasn't exactly comfortable, but she soon drifted off to the sound of his purrs.

 

It was with a blurry mind that she woke up the next morning. It took her a moment to register the fact that Loke was laying on her, smiling peacefully in his sleep. She tried to get out of bed but he stubbornly decided to hold onto her. He groaned as his grip tightened, begging her to stay. Normally she would happily take this excuse to snuggle with him, to avoid work as long as possible, but there was still that mess in the living room to tidy up. She needed to do that before he woke up and started that madness all over again. She did her best to pry his arms open,while ignoring his sleepy protests. It took what seemed like ages before, finally, her struggling paid off and she was free. He frowned in his sleep, hands grabbing at the empty bed, but thankfully didn't wake. She thanked the stars for her good luck as she tip-toed out.

Moving into her kitchen, she grabbed a dustpan and brush from a cupboard, deciding that anything else would wake her sleeping lion. She entered her living room and stared at the mess left the night before. She spotted his sunglasses on the rug and picked them up, she felt a little foolish but she tried them on. He always had the damn things on so she had wondered what they were like. The world seemed darker but really that was it.

“Well that was disappointing. Still I wonder if they look good on me. I'll ask the others”

Satisfied, she got to work, sweeping up, then trashing, all the catnip she could find and disposing of the box. Remembering how he had reacted to her, she got undressed and put her clothes in a washing basket for later. She sneaked back into her room to silently get dressed for the day. She was tempted to steal Loke's jacket to go with the glasses but managed to fight that urge.  She grabbed her hairbrush and cursed silently to herself as she fought with it. She had really been too generous to Loke last night. Finally ready for the day, she paused. She had no idea how long he would sleep for, nor if he would feel any side effects when he did finally wake. She would have to help him first before she left.

 

He woke up feeling groggy, a throbbing pain banging in his head. He groaned as he opened his eyes and was more than a little disappointed when his brain finally registered Lucy wasn't with him. He heaved himself up, ignoring his body's protests, a bleary examination of the room confirmed it was hers, so where was she? He frowned, trying to recall anything that would help, when he noticed something on the bedside table. There was a cup of water, a pill and a note, perhaps they were from Lucy? He fought against gravity and sat up, blinking at the note until the words finally made sense. She had waited until midday before leaving and had left him some painkillers, just in case. In case of what? He struggled to remember anything past Lucy coming in through her front door last night, he had wanted to apologise to her, hopefully that had at least gone ok? She had been holding something, he was sure of it. The memory refused to come so he gave up, it was just worsening his headache anyway. Groaning loudly, he washed down the painkiller she had left for him, feeling his headache slowly start to ebb away. It took awhile, too long really, before he felt ready to get up and find her.

She was his owner, so even in this state he could sort of sense her, he moved through the celestial world, appearing at her side.Well, more a foot or so away, but close enough. Not surprisingly she was with the rest of team Natsu, chilling in the guild hall, relaxing, not taking a job? Now that was the surprise.

“Loke! You’ve decided to come after all!”

Ah, there was the light of his life, beaming at him, wearing sunglasses? He was startled for a moment, train of thought crashing off the track at the sight of her, before his original confusion returned.

“Aren’t you going to look for a job?”

They all turned to face him, smiles all around. Gray came over to him, putting an arm round his shoulder.

“Nah Loke, we’re having a rest day. Lucy told us you weren’t feeling so great, Happy’s in no position to go anywhere either, so Natsu doesn’t want to leave”

Natsu nodded along with his words, pointing to Happy, who was sat on the table, looking rather miserable, though Carla was currently doing her best to cheer him up.

“Right! I’m not leaving him behind! Sides we deserve a break after all the work we’ve done!”

Well he couldn't argue that, the painkillers were nice, but he was still really worn out. Lucy had been working hard with her guild jobs and novels too, so any excuse to get her to chill for a day was fine by him. Actually, speaking of…

“Lucy, can I talk to you a minute? Alone please”

He shot the others a pointed look, he didn't want them to have any ideas of eavesdropping. He wasn't sure how successful he was when the likes of Erza and Juvia conveniently looked away but oh well.

“Sure Loke, we’ll be back in a bit ok guys?”

She got up, after acknowledgements from the others, took him by the arm and led him away. He happily followed her out the hall and outside the guild. As they walked he found he couldn't resist asking her a simple question.

“Are those my sunglasses you're wearing Lucy?”

She stopped a little off to the side, beaming up at him.

“Maybe they are, what do you think? Don't I look good in them?”

“Yes, you look stunning, they really give you that cool factor you were missing. Not surprising though that my amazing fashion choices could make you look even better”. He grinned at her pout, he couldn't ever tell her she looked better in his clothes than him, though really it was obvious to anyone with eyes. “How did you even get them anyway? Did you pinch them off me while I was sleeping?”

“No! You left them on my carpet, so I tried them on”

He had left them on the floor? Why in the world had he done that? His head hurt as he tried to push against the fog in his memories. Lucy seemed nervous as she stared up at him, taking in his pained expression.

“Are you ok Loke? Are you feeling some after effects?”

Oh, did she know what was up with him perhaps? It would explain her guilty look.

“I'm alright? I think? The painkillers helped a lot, thank you for that. What happened last night?”

She stared at him like he had two heads, making him feel a little worried. Had he done something bad?

“You don't remember?”

He shook his head in the negative.

“Sorry Lucy, not a thing. So if we did something magical then i’m going to curse myself”

That got a small smile out of her, though really it had been more to calm him then her, surely he hadn't done something unforgivable right? Her smile soon faded as she started to fidget, mumbling something under her breath, even straining he couldn't hear her.

“Sorry my lovely diamond, I didn't quite catch that”

“...You got high on catnip”

He froze, his blood running cold. He...he had...gotten high off catnip?! How long had it been since his feline self was active enough for him to...no that wasn't the issue here! What had he done? He couldn't remember anything, who knows what he did to Lucy, her home, oh this was so bad! He was way too affectionate, too needy, too impulsive while on that stuff! He moved backwards, away from her.This was going to be the final straw, he knew it, she wanted to be married to a man not a kitten! But he felt a small tug on his arm, she had moved forward to him, smiling gently.

“You know, I can’t read minds, but I can practically hear you worrying, please calm down Loke, you did nothing bad”

He flinched under her touch, her soothing gaze aimed at him, how could she be so calm about this?

“But Lucy...I...ever since being with you it's gotten so much worse” She looked at him offended and he quickly explained himself. “I mean my feline impulses. I used to enjoy them, but it soon became clear humans wanted me for my strength, to fight for them. Giving into my lion impulses wasn't always a good idea, especially with humans that thought of me as no more than a tool. So I learnt to suppress this side of me, keep it hidden. It seemed to please the humans I formed a contract with, no silly nonsense, just a powerful spirit who could be used as a weapon. But with you...I just can’t, you just make me feel so safe and relaxed, like it’s ok again. Like you won't mind. First was the purring, the kneading and the like, now this, who knows what's next Lucy? Don't you see how big a problem this is? How big a problem it is for you?”

She tilted her head to the side, smiling softly at him. How was she so forgiving? So kind to him?

“No, I really don't.” He stared at her, startled, so she continued. “ Oh no, my lover is so relaxed around me that he’s willing to show me every side of him, oh no how terrible!” She fake collapsed against him, a hand to her head, when had she gained a love for theatrics? “ How awful! Whatever should I do? Knowing that my one true love, loves me so much back that he trusts me completely with himself”

“Ok, ok Lucy, I get it.” He sighed as he hugged her close, enjoying the feeling of her arms wrapping around him. “Falling in love with you has been the best thing to happen to me. At first I thought that maybe it would be ok to show my wild side, but then I remembered that you are a human, no duh I know but...humans don't act like lions. I just didn't want you to think I was an idiot, a dork, or for others to look at you strangely when we're together. My feline qualities can make me act stupid and the last thing I wanted was to push you away with them.”

She grinned broadly up at him, mischief in her eyes.

“Eh, you’re a big doofus anyway, so no biggie Loke”

He huffed, making out like he was hurt, but he couldn't stop his matching grin.

“Wow Lucy, thanks, I think”

“It’s no problem Loke, really it’s not. It’s sad that you felt you couldn't be fully yourself until now, but you acting a bit catlike won't push me away, if anything it’s cute and i’m really touched you feel you can share it with me. That deep down you’re secure in yourself when you’re with me”

“I don’t really think it’s all that deep down”

Speaking it out loud he realised it was the truth, she made him feel completely secure, that's what allowed this all to happen in the first place,how his feline self had returned to the point catnip affected him. He really was in such a deep love with her there was no saving him from it. He pulled her to his chest, a desperate need to be as close to her as possible burning through his veins. He held her tight, hoping he could communicate all these feelings to her. She sighed happily as she returned his hold.

“I love you too Loke”

Oh, she was too much, his feelings burst and flowed through him, he caught himself kissing her cheeks over and over, but he didn't care. Lucy accepted him. He could be himself around her, the lovey dovey lion that he was, no pretending, no holding back and he adored it, just as he adored her. He worshipped the ground she walked, her loyal lion that would follow her anywhere, he swore it. She giggled as she looked away.

“Loke! Stop it! We should go back right? The others will be waiting...and I've decided I do need to buy a cat behaviour book”

He raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her as she moved out of his arms and he almost whined at the loss. She seemed to pick up on his plight though as she held his hand in hers, appeasing him. She turned back to the guild and he dutifully walked in step with her. As they went back she answered his silent question.

“After all you did catch me off guard last night, so I want to read up on what to expect so I can give you all that you need. I'm going to be the best owner and lover you’ve ever had, just watch!”

Had he mentioned how much he loved this woman? Because gosh he was a smitten kitten for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on a sort of Lolu writing high at the moment, so i'm probably creating unrealistic expectations on how often I will post when it wears down, but oh well.


	4. Slow blinking and A need to love and be loved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy puts her newfound knowledge to use, and things get talked about

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I think for now this is done? But I may come back to add to it, cats do weird things and honestly if this story became cracky I wouldn't mind

She hadn't been kidding about buying that book, he caught her reading it almost every day, always on a different part of it. In the small space of time since, he had learnt a lot about how cats acted and how much he had apparently been acting like one without even realising. The way he loved it when her hands were in his hair, rubbing his head, the way he was possessive of her attention, or the fact he enjoyed belly rubs. He couldn't remember but Lucy swore he had demanded belly rubs while he was on catnip, which was quite embarrassing if he had to be honest. He nuzzled her and rubbed his cheek against hers a lot, which is a cats way of showing affection and love. Then of course was the purring and kneading that he did almost subconsciously at this point. The list went on and on, it was starting to get depressing. How much of his lion self had leaked through before he had even realised. Without the whole catnip disaster, he may have never known how deep it ran, it was terrifying.

It was thoughts like these that plagued him as he sat with the others, they were discussing their next mission and battle plans, all the usual stuff. He wasn't really focused though, in the end he was sure Lucy would lead him to victory, so nothing else really mattered. So his mind wandered to how he had managed to become so catlike without noticing, when had all his natural instincts taken over? He would ask why, but the answer was sat across from him, listening intently to the others. Lovely Lucy, her love and acceptance had stopped him from shying away who he was, had encouraged this change, but she was so amazing she was managing to do it quicker than he had realised. She was just too amazing he supposed. He sighed happily, a big grin forming on his face, he could just stare at her forever, she was the most interesting thing in the whole world, the universe even. Smart, cute, sexy, brave, caring, an adorable blush- Oh, she had caught his staring, it was probably obvious he was laying all his affection on her, a ‘tidal wave of love’ as she had once described it.

She was staring back at him, flushed red and he shot her a toothy grin. She pouted, nodding her head to the others, in a not so subtle way of telling him to pay attention. He would of laughed at the idea, if not for the fear of Erza’s wrath, she was most important, the only thing in the room worth listening to or looking at. This was a low level job, it didn't need planning, he could tell Natsu and Happy agreed with him, if their constant squirming in their chairs meant anything. They were getting restless, so this meeting would be over soon anyway. He turned his attention back to Lucy, who was still frowning at him, awwww so cute! He mouthed ‘I love you’, wearing what he knew was a lovesick smile, for added effect. She huffed at him, not backing down in the slightest, it was on now, war had been declared. What he wasn't counting on however, was that stupid cat book of hers to have given her a lethal weapon. She lightly tapped underneath her right eye, asking him to share eye contact with her. He happily complied, as he loved her beautiful brown eyes and couldn't resist staring into them on a normal day, nevermind now when he had permission. However that was the trap Lucy had set for him. Her eyes became half lidded before she slowly blinked at him. He shuddered as an unexpected thrill shot down his spine. She smirked at his response, slowly blinking at him once more. His heart burst with a loud yell, _she loved him!_ It was a rush unlike anything he had felt before, yet it also left him weak kneed and shaking. He slow blinked back, unable to stop himself from returning the gesture and almost purred at her loving smile. As it was, her open affection already had him kneading into his own legs, damn her! What in the world was going on? How was he going to stop it? But his cat side refused to be pushed down in its exhilaration, he had to grab onto his chair to stop himself running to her. His fingers dug painfully into wood as he fought the rising tide of emotions he was feeling. Lucy was no help, rather she seemed to be enjoying his struggles, she started rubbing the table in a slow circle, practically begging to pet him, that she devil!

“Are you two alright?” They both jumped out of their staring match, to face an unimpressed looking Erza. “You’ve been staring at each other the last few minutes and getting either of you to answer a question is impossible, do you need a minute?”

Yes please! He nodded furiously, unable to trust his mouth at all to say the correct things and Erza sighed, thoroughly done with everything.

“Let’s have a quick break for food, be back here in 20 minutes so we can leave, I think it's clear this planning session is over”

He jumped out of the chair and had Lucy in his arms before she could even move, oh no she wasn't going anywhere, she was staying with him. The lion in him demanded attention and he really couldn't disagree. His heart was about to burst and she seemed to understand why, he needed her to explain to him. He used the celestial spirit world to quickly transport them to Lucy’s bedroom, carefully placing her down on the bed,before sitting by her and cuddling her close, nuzzling her, a purr already starting up. God he was being so needy.

“Loke! We’re meant to meet up at the guild!”

He grinned at her, giving her a cheeky wink, to distract her from his hands. They were currently kneading into her arms, needing contact, but also declaring his happiness.

“So? I’ll just take us back, we won’t be late my love” He moved his head to her shoulder to purr in her ear, excited at the shiver down her spine, she loved it and he knew it would help break her resistance. “Besides, you need to explain to me what that was all about don't you?”

“What? The slow blinking? It was to show my love of course. And to get you back for embarrassing me”

He huffed, blowing air into her ear, in his frustration.

“I got that. But it made me react so wildly, do you know why?”

She paused, moving back away from him, even as his arms instinctively moved around her back, still keeping her kind of close, she stared at him for a moment, looking rather concerned.

“Loke...a slow blink is how cats show love and trust. It shows how safe and happy they feel with someone,have you never had that? Did you not know that you would even react to it?”

He was speechless, this woman, she was going to be the death of him.

“Lucy!” He pulled her in close, eyes squeezed shut as he just took her in, her presence, her touch, her scent, everything that made her Lucy.”I had no idea this affected me. I’ve never had the chance to do this with someone...and do you really think many spirit owners looked up cat language? For so long no ones known I have a feline side...so no one's bothered to...to actively interact with me like this, or to even want to know what i’m like deep down”

He felt his heart aching and his eyes tearing up, but still he was grinning. He was such a lucky spirit to have her holding his key.

“Well that’s a real shame Loke, since you are such a kind and caring spirit. But don’t worry, you’re stuck with me for the time being, and i’ll make sure you get all the love you deserve”

Something surged up within him, a combination of strong emotions fighting for dominance, he was so happy, touched, amazed by her, yet also not surprised, she was too brilliant for her own good. He was proud of her and himself for catching her eye, he was so in love with her, he needed to tell her everything yet nothing could fit how he felt, he groaned in annoyance.

“It’s not enough”

She leaned back, looking hurt.

“What? My feelings aren't enough for you?”

He was thrown into a full body panic as he tried to explain, eyes wide as he spoke.

“No! That’s not what I meant!” He took a moment to think about his next words. “How I’m feeling right now, all these strong emotions swirling inside of me, hugging you isn’t enough, I need more. I need to show you what I can't say, because words can't describe it”

She flushed a dark red, squirming under his gaze, she probably had some idea what he meant, hopefully.

“Loke, there’s no time for stuff like that”

“I didn't mean...Lucy...can I just spend the next 20 minutes appreciating you? Just touching you and admiring you? Maybe I will get even slightly closer to speaking my heart”

She seemed embarrassed, but also slightly touched. The blush danced on her cheeks but she had a soft smile. She gently nodded at him and he happily took the invitation. He sat a little back so he could see all over her, looking her up and down, taking it all in. How in the world did he get such an amazing looking woman to love him? He was struck stupid by her, starting to babble just to do something.

“Gosh you’re so beautiful you know that? So gorgeous to look at, such stunning eyes and lips. Such soft skin, such amazing hips” His hands dragged up her legs to rest on her hips, letting out a rumble of approval at the feel of them. “You’re just so sexy, too good for me really”

She fidgeted, a little self conscious at his attention, and how he hated that. How she could sometimes think that she might not deserve this. But then she looked at him firmly, straight in the eye. It did something funny to him.

“I want to spend the next 20 minutes admiring you too Loke, you’re incredibly sexy and perfect too and I will prove it!”

He was speechless at her announcement, but nodded his approval, his admiration for her ever growing, even when he didn't think it could anymore. His emotions rose to a torrent when she suddenly returned his touch, holding his head in her hands and she gently rubbed his cheeks with her thumb. He sighed happily, a release of everything he was holding in, as he sunk against her. He nuzzled his cheek against her hand, marvelling at how soft and kind her touch was. He stared into her warm brown eyes, crinkled with joy and love, and it all bubbled over.

"Marry me?"

She giggled, a musical sound he could listen to forever if she would let him.

"We already are silly"

"Then let’s do it again, silly"

He revelled in her mirth, leaning forward to touch his forehead to hers. He wanted to feel every vibration, every movement, feel the fact she was alive and his. That he was truly here.

"You're like heaven you know? I'm sorry if I sound corny, but I could marry you a hundred times in a hundred lifetimes, and never get bored of the sight of you walking toward me in a dress so beautiful it's only outshone by you. You take my every breath away"

That had probably been too much. She seemed uncomfortable as she moved back.

"A hundred Lives Loke? Even if i'm reincarnated once i'll be different you know?"

He smiled gently at her, trying to reassure her as took her hands in his, rubbing them slowly in quiet support.

"Then I would have the joy in learning all about you all over again. You have a dazzling soul Lucy, one that will shine so brightly no matter what. I will always know where to look. Like a lighthouse that leads lost boats to the shore, your soul shines through the dark to lead me to you"

Ok that had definitely been too much, something about her brought out the corny in him. He moved his hands up her arms, trailing across them, finding some joy in her shudder. He caressed across her shoulders, up her neck before cupping her head in his hands, thumbing her lip.

"And, trust me on this, you are worth scouring the universe for"

With that he finally leaned in, gently capturing her lips with his own. Her hands moved to slowly card through his hair, but didn't deepen the kiss. It was perfect as it was, a joining of two souls. He continued to kiss her, moving slightly to get a better angle, until he couldn't breath, his lungs clawing for air, but his heart crying for her, he could die happy like this. She had other plans though as she slowly separated them, her eyes teary, a watery smile on her lips.

"You really are the dumbest idiot on this planet, but I love you so much" Her hands moved down his face to his chest, hovering over his heart. " I love this, the way you unabashedly show off how you're feeling, your unwavering loyalty and bravery. You really do have a Lions heart" She allowed them both a small smile at the joke, before continuing. " The idea that you had dedicated it to me...was terrifying at first, but now I...I just want you to feel as loved as you make me feel. If I could give you even a moment of the completeness I feel by your side I would do it"

Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, softly pulling him into a hug. She rubbed at his back idly as she thought of what she wanted to say next. He closed his eyes as he listened to the thrumming of her heartbeat, a sound so precious to him. Proof she was alive, that she was his, that she loved him. It was the most exhilarating yet soothing sound in existence. His hands moved up her back, playing with the ends of her hair. Well if she wasn't going to talk he would.

"So pretty"

"Hmm?"

"You, your hair, your eyes, your smile, your laugh, your ass-"

"Loke!"

He hid his face in her neck, grinning against her skin.

"Just making sure you were paying attention...though it is a nice ass" He patted her lower back appreciatively, enjoying her huff. "For the record though, I only feel complete when I am with you." He squeezed her in a hug for emphasis. " Only with you do I feel this needed-Aww look at your blush" He moved back, putting a finger under her chin to coax her head up to face him. Her cheeks were a bright pink. "This is a thing I adore too, you are so cute like this, I love that you’re bashful, that you blush at my comments, its really adorable. " He softly kissed her cheek, happiness pouring from him into her. "It also shows how brave you are though. You're terrified of your feelings sometimes, of how strongly we both feel. Yet you choose to face it head on, you look me in the eye, face an adorably bright red, and proclaim proudly that we belong"

"Well we do, Mr Kitty cat" She rubbed under his chin and he couldn't help but purr, she looked at the clock on the wall and groaned. "But we should head back, remind me to not slow blink at you again in public though, if this is going to happen every time I do"

He whined, not sure if he was upset at the loss of her attention, the banning of slow blinking, or both. He pouted at her, not really wanting to let go.

"Do we have to? They'll be fine, its only a small job Lucy"

"A small job that will pay my rent Loke, unless you want me kicked out?"

He sighed, couldn't argue with that, and let her go.

"Fine, but once we're done with all this we're cuddling again"

"Deal, you needy lion cub"

He laughed, helping her to her feet, ready to take them both back.

"Maybe, but i'm your needy lion cub"

"Always"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't know why this got so serious and become so comfort filled, but I just wrote and this came to me and I have no idea i'm sorry


	5. Blepping and knocking things over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loke's blepping leads to a bit of a fight between lovers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok after the last one got a bit feelzy how about we lighten it up with a bit of crack? Which is really what I wanted for this in the first place

She stretched, yawning a bit, as she walked into her guild. Early mornings were never that great for her, it always took a while before she truly got going. It was why she had asked Loke to meet her here, he was terrible when it came to indulging her lazy habits, always willing to spend extra time with her in bed. They were going to leave with the rest of the team on a job later that day, but she figured if she got here early and got some drinks down her, she might actually be awake when the others show up. She started to look through the chaos that was the guildhall for her orange haired lion, seriously with a mane like that you'd think he would be easy to spot, though she supposed dodging chairs and fistfights made it a little harder. Jumping out of the way of a glass mug, Mirajane's going to be angry they've broken another one, she finally spotted him relaxing at the far corner of the guild. It made sense he would want to keep out of this mess so early in the morning. He had his elbow rested on a table, head in his hand, as it looked like he was dozing off. He looked so sweet while he was that relaxed,why that easy smile was just- wait a second, was that a-? She moved a little closer, trying not to catch his attention now as she inspected him more closely. Yes it was! His tongue was out, just a little bit, poking through his lips. He didn't even seem to notice what he was doing. She had to cover her mouth to hold in her little squee of happiness, but that didn't stop her manic grin. By the stars he looked so cute...and so silly, just like a kitten really. Her eyes darted around the room, looking for a certain...Ah there he is! She carefully moved back across the guild, desperate to not disturb Loke and the moment he was having. She sneaked her way over to reach Reedus, drawing away in his sketchbook. He caught sight of her and smiled politely.

"Hello Lu-"

She quickly shushed him, turning to make sure Loke hadn't heard, the mere mention of her name would attract his attention for sure. He raised a brow at her and she pointed to Loke, trying to get Reedus to see what she had. He looked over, but still seemed confused as to what was going on, not that she could blame him. This kind of thing wasn't really what you looked for in people. Getting an idea, she mimed drawing to him and he seemed to understand that much. Since, even though he was still bewildered, he turned to a new piece of paper and started drawing out a quick sketch. He suddenly paused as he started drawing in Loke's facial features, looking up at her in amusement. She grinned, glad they were finally on the same wavelength. He nodded at her as he continued to draw, confirmation he would save this moment in art for her. She almost danced in delight, instead she place a few jewels by him, and schooled her features as she walked over to Loke. She called out his name and finally got his attention. He straightened up as he noticed her, dreamy look fading from his face to be replaced with an excited grin. The moment was gone, but at least she knew she would have a way to keep it with her always.

 

"Lucy, what's this?"

He stared, incredulous, at a picture of him on the wall above Lucy's desk. The fact there was a picture wasn't a problem, she could have pictures of him everywhere if she wanted, and he would be happy to model them for her. It was more what was on the picture, it seemed fine  at first, sitting at the bar in the guild. He even looked a bit regal, if you ignored the dopey look on his face, he was probably thinking of Lucy at the time. The quality suggested it was Reedus's art and he was good at bringing guild scenes to life on canvas. But for some reason his tongue...

"Oh, that, I had almost forgotten about it. The other day I caught you relaxing with your tongue out, which is a normal cat thing to do. But it was just so silly though to see you do it that I couldn't resist having a picture of it. It's really cute don't you think?"

He bristled at her response, she thought he was silly? Normally that wouldn't bother him, in fact he usually encouraged it, but for some reason, this hurt his pride. His inner lion was upset at being made a fool of and he wasn't about to let this go.

"Not really Lucy, I don't think being made fun of is cute"

He was being childish, a part of him was already scolding him for being mean to her, but he was really getting rubbed the wrong way by this.

"I...I'm not making fun of you Loke, I think you're cute. I'm not trying to tease you, you just are adorable at times"

He felt himself be sated and enraged at the same time, a weird mixture of hot and cold flashed inside him. Lucy was complimenting him, but right now he didn't want to be seen as cute, it just hurt his pride more. He felt something akin to a growl start to rise up in his throat, though that wasn't what caught her attention.

"Loke, don't you dare knock those over!"

He paused, looking over to his hand, hovering dangerously close to Lucy's draft for her second book. The first one had been popular enough that she deemed it worth writing a sequel, wouldn't it be a shame if her pages got all mixed up.He stared her straight in the eye, back raised and issuing a challenge. She stared right through him, not backing down. A primal urge deep within him awoke, taking over the anger with a need to be naughty, to go against Lucy. So, in a act of  pure defiance, he reared his arm back and knocked Lucy's papers off her desk. Her draft spread across the room, littering paper everywhere. He  smirked, filled with the sense that he had won. He was now coming down from his storm cloud, appeased by the mess he had made. Lucy, however, didn't look incredibly impressed. Her mouth a straight line as she crossed her arms, glaring at him.

"You know you're going to be the one to pick all these up right? And put them back in the correct order. How am I supposed to finish my second book if you tear this place up?"

He huffed, glaring daggers right back at her, as his hands balled into fists. He was rising again.

"Of course I will Lucy! I always am happy to help you. I'm Loke, the faithful servant"

"You're not my servant! And if you truly think that way,then why are you causing more work for yourself?"

"I don't know! I just wanted to watch the papers fly that's all!"

They stared each other down, neither backing down or willing to give in to the other. After a moment though, something shifted inside him, as he looked around the messy room and saw the disgruntled figure of his wife. She looked a little ridiculous, pouting, arms crossed, while her work laid scattered around her. He fell once more, cooled down completely this time. Well the whole thing was ridiculous really, why was he getting so worked up over what had clearly been Lucy trying to be kind? She had gone about it strangely but he supposed this was also her trying to normalise his cat self. He couldn't stop the chuckle that passed by his lips. She looked dumbfounded as he slowly broke down into laughter, before finally joining him.

"Oh Loke, we're so ridiculous"

"Nah, I'm ridiculous, you're off in a whole other league of your own"

"Hey, just after I was starting to forgive you"

He stuck his tongue out at her, enjoying their banter and the joy of being cheeky with her. She stopped though, suddenly sombre. He felt such emotional whiplash at how quickly she went from smiling to sad, he almost didn't catch what she was saying.

"I'm sorry Loke, I shouldn't have had a drawing done of you without your permission, it was an insensitive thing to do."

Oh, he had reminded her of that, well it was a stupid thing to fight over anyway, best to just forget about it. He grinned at her reassuringly as he moved closer to her.

"Lucy, I'm sorry, I overreacted, my thoughts scrambled and I jumped to the conclusion you were mocking me, even though I should know by now you never would. You were trying to hold on to a moment in which you thought I was adorable, though I would argue i'm more in the extremely sexy category. I'm sorry for getting angry" He cast a glance up at the offensive image on the wall, looking at it properly now, Reedus really knew how to get his good side, even if he did look silly. "but considering it's only a small piece of paper, not a large canvas, and is thus very easy to move. Could you maybe relocate it to your room or something? It's one thing for you to see it and another for guests or strangers to ask about it then laugh at me...I mean can you imagine if a member of Fairytail saw that they-"

She was already moving to the picture, taking it down off the wall, he had a feeling she knew his little tantrum had been about wounded pride. The feeling of being mocked by others, especially his friends, wasn't an appealing one. She turned back to him, a small smile back on her face. Good, it wouldn't do for her to tiptoe around him.

"Deal Loke, I'll go find somewhere to put this up out of the public eye, while you tidy up your mess. You've been a very naughty kitty"

She shot him a wink then chuckled at her own joke, as she left he felt a lovestruck expression take over his own face. Man she really was too cute when she laughed, even if it was at his expense. The good feeling inside him died though when he took a look around. He had really put a lot of power into that swipe, the papers were everywhere, and no doubt some were hiding under the furniture. He sighed, well might as well get to work. He really hated his damned cat nature sometimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Silly fights are awesome, nothing serious just ridiculous, I love it.  
> Cats are rather proud creatures i've found, they also don't all enjoy cameras in their face. So I guess this is also the cat behaviour of not wanting a photo taken of you.


	6. Love biting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loke forgets to be subtle about his feline tendencies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Affectionate and needy kitty time! this was fun to write.

It seemed like it was going to be another relaxing day, it was sunny, the town was peaceful and there was no real pressure to take a job at the moment. Lucy was looking forward to today, she and Levy had another day together planned. It had been a while since she and Levy had spent a good amount of time together, so she was putting this down time to use, spending as much time with her friend as she could. Walking out of her house, she casually stepped around a small gift box left on her doorstep. She still had no idea who had been leaving them the last few days, but they always contained food. So she wasn't surprised to open up the box to see a small cupcake inside. She took the sweet out the box, tossing the box away, before continuing her daily walk to the guild. She had been wary of the first two boxes, but curiosity had gotten the better of her, so far she was fine and she wasn't going to say no to free sweets. Though she did wish whoever was giving them to her would just own up already, she really didn't like the idea of Loke finding out she was accepting gifts from strangers.That was a overly protective rant she really didn't need. She had just finished it when she walked into the guild, immediately heading to the small library in the corner of the building. Levy caught sight of her and beamed at her, passing her a book as she sat down by the other mage. They had started researching together, ancient magic and artefacts had become a reoccurring theme in the guilds harder missions, so they were trying to keep their combined knowledge as up to date as possible. It also allowed for the two to catch up on gossip and each others daily lives, maybe she could tease Levy about Gajeel a bit too. The two had been together awhile now, but merely mention his name and she still broke out in a blush.

"Hey Levy, sorry i'm late. Mornings never really cooperate with me you know?"

Her friend giggled before waving her off.

"It's ok, it's not like you missed much anyway. The guilds the same and I just revisited what we went over yesterday while I was waiting for you."

"Thank you, ok now let's get started!"

They soon got to work deciphering and writing down information they deemed important. The library in the guild may be smaller than others, but she still marvelled at how much information could still be found. It was going to take the two of them a long while to get through it all, but honestly, she was happy. Her ability to understand and use Fairytail magic had helped out in a pinch, if this was a way she could be helpful to everyone, then so be it. It also helped that it was Levy she was reading with, the other woman was a joy to spend time with. An hour or so passed when they decided to stop for a drink, calling Mirajane over to order some. They were sitting there, books in front of them, chatting happily, when she heard a loud thud. She jumped as she turned to find Loke laying there across the table, on top of her books, sporting a childish pout. An elbow was on the table, supporting his head as he stared at her, ignoring the fact he had also startled Levy. She sighed, waving off her confused friend, it was pretty obvious what he was moody about, but might as well hear it from him.

"Can we help you Loke?"

His nose scrunched up, displeased by her bored tone.

"Why yes, you can actually, you see, how can I put this? Oh, you've been ignoring me this past week"

"Not ignoring you Loke, spending time with my friends, with Levy. Am I not allowed to do that?"

He frowned, quick to defend himself.

"Of course you are! You can spend all day with them if you like, i'm not that type of person Lucy...but could you spend a little bit of the evening with me maybe?"

He tilted his head slightly, inquisitive, she heard her so called friend chuckle at her expense by her side, well at least she had finally caught up. For her part she smiled sheepishly at Loke, who was waiting for a response.

"I'm sorry, I guess I've been so busy, and so tired, that I forget to call on you, I'll make more of an effort I promise. But it seems you've been able to take care of yourself just fine"

"Well yeah, I've been spending time with Gray and Juvia, well mainly with Gray, but wherever he goes..." He motioned with his free hand and they shared a grin, that girl was shameless. Though, her lion really wasn't one to talk when it came to being clingy. "It's been a lot of fun, I even got to take part in a guild brawl again for nostalgia's sake, but it's not the same without you"

She shook her head as she finally indulged him. She put her hand in his hair, rubbing the top of his head gently, feeling him lean against her, closing his eyes in bliss. 

"I know my silly lion, we'll go back to regular time together soon, but this is important. I could learn something here that helps us in our next battle"

He hummed in reply, a small smile curled up on his face and she wasn't even sure if he was listening to her. Her musings were confirmed when he spoke up again.

"Did you like my gifts at least? I figured if I couldn't see you I could at least still treat you"

She took a moment to share a questioning glance with Levy, neither too sure what he meant, until she felt the proverbial light bulb go off in her head. Her hand stilled, he whined at the loss but it went ignored.

"You're the one whose been leaving gifts outside my door?"

He lightened up at that, nodding happily.

"Yeah, some sweets to make your morning brighter my diamond! Though sadly, none I found were as sweet as you"

She heard Levy cooing in the background, she always was the romantic type. However years of this had left her with a bit of resistance against his flirts, especially when there was something on her mind.

"Why in the world were you leaving them in such a suspicious place then?! You have my house key, leave them inside!"

He looked shocked, hurt even,at the mere thought of what she was suggesting.

"It's more romantic if it's outside! Then everyone can see my love for you!"

"Or everyone can mess with it!" He winced but she pressed on. "And another thing, put your name on it! I trashed the first two because I thought some random stranger was trying to drug me with sweets"

His mouth hung open now speechless, as the background awwing turned to polite giggles, her fellow bookworm was never going to laugh at him, not in their company anyway. She rose an eyebrow at him, tapping the table, reminding herself in the back of her mind that he was still on the books! They had to go back to the shelves! But then he spoke up.

"I guess I could leave presents on your desk instead?"

She nodded, happy he understood her point.

"Please and thank you, that would be much better" She returned to petting him, earning a loving grin in response. "And hey, at least it wasn't a dead rat or something."

That got her a snort that turned into chuckles, the table shaking with him in his mirth.

"Yeah, good thing i'm mostly human huh? Or maybe you would like a dead raw fish next time?"

"Ew, no thanks"

Her disgusted reaction set him off into full blown laughter, eyes filled with glee and tears. She shook her head fondly, her husband was an idiot. When he calmed down she moved her hands down to his cheeks, rubbing them in small circles, before moving to his chin. She was reminded of the other presence in the room however when she heard a voice.

"Mostly human? I know he's a spirit Lucy, but surely Loke would never get you a dead animal...also what is that noise?"

His purr was so natural to her now, that she hadn't even properly registered it. But yep, somewhere along the way in her petting, it had revved up his purr, filling the small library with his rumbles. He paused, the noise dying quickly, but that wouldn't be enough. Levy was staring rather intently at Loke now, as if she just expected him to come out and say 'Oh yeah I purr and do other cat things'. Well she would be disappointed, with his fears that wasn't happening anytime soon. She internally panicked as she fumbled for an excuse.

"Oh, Levy that's just a small inside joke between us, you know, since he's the Lion spirit? So I like to pretend he's cat like"

"Right! I just go along with it now, it's fun to tease her and be teased"

With his cheeky wink, he almost fooled her that they weren't both on high alert.

"Alright...but that noise...?"

"Doesn't your lover boy have a pussy cat all his own? He was probably purring away"

Ah, good plan Loke, there were three other cats in the guild after all, and Pantherlilly was the biggest. Still, Levy just frowned, shaking her head.

"Yeah, but he's a proud type...he doesn't purr for much..."

"Well whoever it was, it wasn't Loke, I mean I like to pet his head, but that's more because we both enjoy it, rather then he'll make a noise"

As if to prove her point she rubbed under his chin, tickling a sweet spot of his. She could see him struggling against his nature, she silently cheered him on, as he smiled but didn't purr, even if his body was tense.

"I guess, sorry, you know me with a mystery... Still I could have sworn it was coming from within this room..."

"It's ok Levy and thinking on it, I bet that it came fro-ow"

She let out a surprised yelp, facing her husband once more, who was currently biting her. Not harshly, but enough that she could definitely feel it. She realised all his nervous energy had come out as a love bite, though he didn't really look all that apologetic about the situation. In fact, he stared her down as his mouth stayed on her fingers. Gears seemed to turn as an idea formed in his brain, one that she could only assume would be terrible. He licked up her hand a little before trying to nibble it once more. She pulled back, not letting him have his way, glaring at him. Was this really the time for this?

"...Is he ok?"

"Yeah sure, he's just into biting, he's a sexual demon like that" He huffed ready to defend himself, but really, if he was going to act like this he was going to suffer the consequences. "How would you feel Loke if I gave you a lovebite in public hm? Would you like that?"

It had meant to shame him, get him to back off before he embarrassed Levy, but instead he just smirked. His eyes gleamed mischievously as he slowly sat up, bringing his legs down in front of him, and on either side of her. He pushed her chair back with his feet and slipped down onto her lap, his recent favourite place, face inches from hers.

"Why I would love that quite a lot Lucy, in fact, why don't you bit me right here, for all the guild to see?"

She flushed, not expecting him to call out her bluff, but that was nothing compared to her blue haired friend, whose face was currently the darkest shade of red she had ever seen.

"H-hey I think I hear Gajeel calling me, how about we stop for today Lucy? I'm sorry for being suspicious and everything, I see now that he's just a weirdo...so yeah bye!"

She ran, an impressive speed really, they must have done a number on her, it's a good thing she's not around him most of the time then, this was tame stuff. Speaking off, she felt a small pain in her hand again and sighed when she realised he had pulled her hand up to nibble on it again, grabbing her full attention.

"Oi"

"Sorry, but you deserve it for making her think i'm a pervert, besides, I only do it because I love you" He grinned gleefully at her, mission of getting her all to himself a complete success. Even if he had ended up accidentally freaking out Levy to do it. She would have to send her a small gift or something later to apologise. "But I really wouldn't mind if you bite me back Lucy, in fact I would rather enjoy it"

She groaned as he wiggled happily, releasing her hand to curl around her, probably planning to spend the whole day on her lap if he could. Oh just great, here she was trying to do work, but instead was being interrupted by a giant lapcat, when had her life become the punchline to a bad joke?

"You need to tell them all you know, they won't be mad. It will stop people thinking weird things about you too"

"I know... I think i'm ready to tell them soon"

"Good kitty, but really no lovebites in public. Anything else can be written off as affection, the cuddling, the headbutts, the touches and all that. But biting is a bit harder to explain."

"Keep up with the petting Lucy and I may not be able to help myself"

"...You're sleeping on the couch tonight"

She was a cold master sometimes, but if she had learnt anything from cat books and watching how Loke behaved, is that the only word a cat chooses to not understand is no. So, instead you say no cuddles, with this particular big cat, it usually works.


	7. Hissing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cats finally out the bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been a fun little series to write but I feel its close to ending

Lucy let out a curse as she dodged left, a burst of magic shooting past her head. Looking up she spotted someone standing over her, prepared to strike. Oh sh- this wasn't going well. They were trying to get rid of some local bandits, but of course things were never easy. What did come easy to her though, was her Fleuve d'étoiles, pulling it back before wrapping it round their legs, tightening the whips hold as she jumped back.  They let out a curse as they fell back and she caught her breath. Despite being initially caught off guard by a sneak attack, Team Natsu was clearly winning this fight. The bandit group, Dragon Flame? Something like that, weren't exactly as strong as their name suggested, something that was really upsetting Natsu. She could hear him whining about it from here, it brought a small smile to her face. The guy on the floor let out a chuckle and she belatedly felt a presence behind her, preparing to strike. There was no time to untie her whip and doing so could free her captive up to attack her again anyway. So she moved her free hand to her keys, mentally working out which spirit would be best for quickly getting rid of these guys, she was so done with this fight, when she heard a small growl. All three of them paused as the growl morphed into a loud hiss, she felt Loke's magic as he charged forward, swiping at the guy behind her and sending him flying. He must have summoned himself yet again, she was getting too used to that. She could become dangerously reliant on it if she wasn't careful. Still, she couldn't help but give him a small smile in gratitude as he quickly moved to her side.

"Thanks for that Loke"

"Really my love, you need to be more careful. What is this knight without his princess after all?"

He was tense despite his relaxed words, only he could use flirting to distract himself from how he truly felt. She shook her head at him, sadly used to this, when she felt a tug at her whip. The guy she had caught was trying to untie her whip from his legs. Before she could warn him to stop, the hissing started again. She was startled to see it was coming from Loke, who was hissing as he stood in front of her protectively. His back was arched up in what he must have thought was a threatening pose, his eyes were contracted into slits behind his sunglasses and his lips were curled up into a snarl, revealing very sharp fangs. They weren't there before, was this part of the whole feline thing too?  _I wonder what it would be like to kiss him with fangs?_ She flushed at her own intrusive thoughts, not the time for this! The bandit at her feet wisely decided to give up struggling, causing her lion to relax a little. He still looked rather feral though, a wild cat on the attack, as he turned to her.

"You keep him tied up, the other one is knocked out so is no threat. I'll help the others wrap this up"

"Are you sure you don't want-"

He cut her off with a kiss on the cheek, fangs brushing against her skin ever so slightly and causing her to gasp.

"I want you to stay safe, I know you can handle this and yourself just fine, but why don't you relax for a change? Let me handle these idiots who dared to try and lay a finger on you"

His smile got darker as he spoke, filled with an overprotective anger. She decided to let him have this one, nodding her approval to him. It was better to let him work out and understand his lion rage now while he was settling back into his feline identity, rather then have him stumble against someone actually threatening. She watched him charge over to the others, teeth bared and hands curled into fists, he might be getting a bit too worked up. But she was more focused on getting her whip back to care about that. She took out a key and summoned Capricorn to keep the bandit in place as she untied the whip from him, then she proceeded to tie him up with some rope Erza had brought. She was probably acting too relaxed considering, but if anyone dared attack her she had her whip, and her spirit, to back her up. So call her overconfident, but she wasn't all that worried. As Capricorn taught her different knots,she could hear the sounds of battle beside her, explosions, yells and hisses. Loke was finally going to have to explain to everyone at the guild about all this. By the time she had tied the bandit up the battle was over. Her friends were dragging the others behind them, stopping as they came close to her. She allowed Capricorn to return to the spirit world and grabbed the tied up bandit herself, might as well do something productive today. Loke moved to help her, an unconscious, scruffy looking man slung unceremoniously over his shoulder, but she refused him. She was fine carrying one guy, it wasn't an issue, but he didn't look so sure. Still it was neither of them that spoke first, Gray took that honour.

"So, Loke, i've known you for a few years now, but i've never seen you do something like that"

Erza nodded her agreement as Loke flinched beside her, his actions finally catching up to him. 

"Indeed, you seemed more...lion like I suppose. The way you fought was more...animalistic. You were wilder for sure"

"Yeah! and since when did you have fangs?! That's cool Loke!"

He froze under their gaze, looking to her for some guidance but she just shrugged. It was up to him, if he wanted to play it off she would go along with it, but if he wanted to explain then she would support him. He grumbled something along the lines of not expecting it to affect his fighting before sighing and giving in.

"Fine, i'll tell you everything, but lets drop these guys off first alright? My shoulders going to go stiff like this" 

There were murmurs of agreement, especially from little Wendy, who was struggling to carry someone herself. She decided to offer her a hand, carrying one and a half people now as they strode along back to town. She was really proud of Loke, even if he was currently just stalling for time, her spirit was finally comfortable enough to talk about himself completely, even if it was just with his closest friends. It was an improvement in her eyes. Though, she did wonder if that feral side of Loke was going to appear more often now...

 

They had handed in the job, the money split between them, and were sitting in her home. Their habit of just appearing at her house had never really died down, not even with Loke threatening them when they showed up at...inopportune times, she figured it was always going to be a part of her life. He had changed back to his normal self, his eyes had dilated before returning to normal. She was reluctant to admit it, but she even missed his fangs, however something was nagging at the back of her mind about that whole thing. It was hard to concentrate on Loke when she was busy thinking about feral Loke. His angry face flashed in her mind, amplifying her doubts. But for now she had to watch her friends, she had to make sure they didn't upset him. They were calm as Loke explained about his feline self, about how he had learned to hide it due to actions of his past masters, how he was starting to feel comfortable with it once more. Her pride in him surged as he ploughed on, even as his voice got wobbly with nerves. His hand had found hers at some point, she hoped it helped calm him, helped let him know she was there. Finally, he finished, squeezing Lucy's hand as he awaited their response. She didn't know what he had been expecting, but she was pretty sure the nonchalant reaction wasn't it. Gray even huffed a bit, crossing his arms.

"Well so much for being best friends eh? Still with how overly affectionate and moody you are, of course you're a giant cat"

Loke snorted, relaxing a little.

"You're one to talk about being moody you-"

"I KNEW YOU WERE A GROWN UP CAT!"

Happy's yell surprised all of them, the blue cat grinning ear to ear in victory. Huh, she guessed he had technically been right after all hadn't he? If you thought about it a certain way. He didn't need to seem so smug though.

"And you all thought I was wrong, well Loke is a cat so there. But you're not getting any of my fish though, even if you are so cool"

Loke raised a brow, amused by Happy's reaction.

"Fine, but don't think you're allowed on Lucy's lap, this cat doesn't share either. You'll be hearing my hiss more often if you try"

The large grins shared between the two as Carla groaned beside them made her chuckle, she knew their friends would accept him immediately, he always overthinks everything. As if to prove her point, Wendy piped up with her own reassurances. 

"I think It's cute Mr Loke...and now I have something to pay you back for the whole pickled plums thing"

Loke physically sagged, looking slightly put out at her giggling.

"I was trying to not hurt you!"

"Well you should have thought of the before you used it to cheat against Wendy!"

"I never-"

As Carla and Wendy continued to gang up on her poor kitty, the teasing really going both ways, Natsu caught her attention, finally having calmed down Happy.

"I guess this means me and Happy are going to visit more often Lucy"

"What? I'm going to find you in my house twice a day now instead of just the once?"

"Oi, we don't visit you that often...do we?"

Natsu and Happy shared a confused glance, both mentally trying to work out how often they have broken into her home, the idiots. Erza seemed to share her thoughts, smiling softly at her friends while shaking her head. She turned to Loke, who had seemingly lost his battle of wits with Wendy and Carla, he was pouting like the sore loser he was.

"Despite everything, I am glad you were finally able to tell us Loke, I understand that you were afraid of being laughed at or taken advantage of. But really, with those two on our team, did you really think you were the weirdest person here?"

"HEY! You're one to talk! You guzzle down cake like it's the only food on the planet!"

She started to feel a sense of dread pool into her stomach, especially when Gray snorted as he piped up.

"That's rich coming form the man responsible for Magnolia meat shortages"

"Exactly! Anyway, I like sweet things Natsu, care to try and stop me?"

The glares shot between her friends confirmed her fears, she shared a look with Wendy, both of them ready to duck and cover if they had to, when a loud purr filled the room. She knew immediately who that certain sound belonged to, even with two other cats in the room,they all looked to Loke, who had a content smile on his face. Her heart melted as laughter joined his purrs.

"Thanks guys, I guess I was being silly, all nervous for no reason"

She leaned over to ruffle his hair, making it messier than it already was.

"I could have told you that, in fact I believe I have"

"No need to rub it in Lucy...but thank you all. My priority is always Lucy, but you guys are like...um..."

"A Pride?"

"...Interesting word choice there Erza, but yes I suppose you are like my human pride. I will do my best to help and protect you all, my friends, thank you"

"Awww, Loke's going all soft on us and telling us stuff we already knew"

"Shut it Gray, I can't have a brawl in here but nothings stopping me from taking my claws outside"

"Hey if you're fighting ice freak let me in on it too!"

Ugh, why was it always back to fighting? Hadn't they just come from a job? She quickly tried to change topics.

"Soooo... ready to tell the rest of Fairytail?"

"Oh hell no Lucy, not in your lifetime. Can you imagine the reactions of that group? Cana would tease me to no end. Or worse, what if word ended up getting spread to Milliana? I would never hear the end of it. I love attention, but that girl loves cats a bit too much"

Even Erza had to agree that her friend, who already visited a lot for her and the Exceeds, would probably visit a lot more if she got to see a cat man. She didn't want to admit that she wasn't sure how she felt about someone else pulling his purrs from him either.

"What if they promise not to let it get out of the guild?"

He paused, thinking it over.

"Fine i guess I can deal with it. But no one else can learn about this, please Lucy"

"It's a deal Loke, we'll tell them tomorrow"

"Wait for us, we'll be there too if you need it"

He seemed elated, his shoulder rubbed up against hers as he leaned against her, needing some form of touch. If he didn't get it while he was over the moon he could get very agitated she had learnt. She felt his purr sending vibrations through him but it didn't calm her as usual. She was still worried that fights could turn him feral now, not just mildly, but possibly fully wild, but she suspected it was more to do if she was in mortal danger. As long as she was careful from now on they should be fine. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea to mention that to anyone yet.

"Alright, it'll be easier this time around I think"

He nodded, fully convinced now and she smiled at him. Tomorrow was going to be a fun day, but for now, it was time for this lion to chill and relax with his pride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realise I've never explained why Loke calls Lucy 'My Diamond'. Well the largest diamond in the universe is a burned out white dwarf star. it has 3000 kilometre core of pure diamond, and guess what it's nicknamed by scientists? Lucy!. If all the same stars are in Earthland then I can pretend this is too. I bet Loke would be thrilled to find such a thing, 'It may be the largest diamond my love, but you still far outshine it'.  
> Also they were both named after 'Lucy in the sky with diamonds' by the Beetles so theres that too.


	8. A happy lion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A worried lion tells his guild everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A part of me is mad that this isn't ending on nine chapters for nine lives. But then my brain reminded me that with Loke's whole banishment from the stars, he's more than likely used up a life. So he has eight now, poor lion :(

 He took a deep breath as he looked around the guild. It was as lively as ever, happy chatter filling the room as Fairytail went about its day. The movement and activity meant that they weren't really noticed or acknowledged by many guildmembers, for which he was thankful. He needed the moment to give himself a breather and think over his words. His friends, as promised, had showed up for support, though he was starting to find it a bit silly that he needed them in the first place. He could do this, tell them all about his feline self, then hopefully never have to explain this side of himself again. The only person who deserved to know was Lucy, but it would save future headaches if the guild knew he supposed. He shared a look with his love, finding strength there, before calling out to the guild.

"Hey! Everyone, I have something to tell you!"

He caught a few glances, a bit of attention, but he went mostly unheard in the loud din that was the guildhall. He was really starting to wonder if it was worth all this trouble, if maybe telling people one at a time was fine. But when it came to this group well...imaginations and pranks ran wild here and he figured by the end of the day it would be spreading that he could turn into an actual lion or something weird like that. Better to get them all at once then. Thankfully Natsu had his back, with one well aimed fireball attention was completely on him. Lovely just what he needed. He felt Lucy's hand in his and smiled gently at her, pulling strength from her.

He coughed, willing himself to speak up, finding courage to fight the stares with Lucy and his friends at his side.

"Well you all know I'm the lion celestial spirit right? Well, there's something about that..."

 

It had gone down predictably well she thought. The moment Loke finished some went back to their work while others were more curious, he had answered quite a few questions as the day went on. She was currently sat with Erza and Juvia, the both of them drinking something that looked suspiciously alcoholic in nature. In fact a lot of the members of the guild were nursing their own drinks again today, it seemed no work was going to be done, though she supposed today was a day to celebrate. Gray and Natsu were training outside, Happy deciding to stay indoors with Carle, so she supposed that counted as work? This was a guild infamous for drinking and causing trouble, any excuse to party was always going to be accepted. Her spirit and lover was currently having some troubles, trapped a few tables over between an inquisitive Elfman and a curious Cana.

"So if you're part lion Loke, can you transform? Like with my takeovers?"

Ah that was a question he had wanted to shut down immediately, she could hear Erza saying something, but honestly her focus was on her spirit, it always was really.  _If only he knew the pining went both ways, he'd never let me live it down._

"Oh no Elfman, no physical feline features here"

Except his eyes and fangs. She frowned at the memory, they weren't ever going to be permanent, were they?

"Awww, so kitty cat isn't hiding a tail from me?"

"No, i'm not...and I think you're drunk again Cana"

"No one in the guild can hold their liquor better than me cat boy"

"I believe you...but most people here are lightweights, so that's not impressive"

She felt Erza tap her shoulder, she pulled her gaze away to raise an eyebrow at her. She was being rude to her friends she knew that, but she didn't want to be interrupted in her viewing pleasure.

"Juvia has asked you a question Lucy"

"Oh I'm sorry Juvia! It's just...well I'm keeping an eye on Loke. I figured everything would be ok, but I want to make sure he's not teased too much"

"It's alright, Juvia enjoys watching Gray too so it's understandable...especially when he's acting like that"

Confused, she looked to Loke again, becoming a little amused to find him eyeing up a spot of light on the floor. His eyes followed it as it sped back and forth, twitching every time it got close. The dot moved to the table, swirling around until Loke suddenly slammed his hand down on top of it. He looked incredibly triumphant, grinning like a loon, until it sunk in what he had just done. He groaned as chuckles spread throughout the room. The loudest Laughter came from Gajeel, holding up his arm encased in iron. Ah he had been reflecting light off it, how cheeky. She had to admit it was funny though, she tried to keep her own giggles in for her husbands sake, since he didn't seem as impressed.

"You too Gajeel?"

"Aww come on now, I'm just havin a bit of fun, sides it was their idea"

He pointed to the three exceeds stood on the table by them, she heard a distinct yell of 'traitor' from Happy, all but confirming his part in the prank. Carle and Pantherlilly weren't so dumb, quickly moving back and away from Happy, shifting all the blame to him. It might have worked...if the person they were tricking only had two brain cells. The unamused glance Loke shot them spoke of revenge.

"You know what, this has been fun and all, but i'm going to leave you guys to your alcohol and stupid jokes while I move on to nicer pleasures"

He stood up, sending them all once last glare before moving away from the table, ignoring their mocking as he left. She watched him come closer and pushed out from the table, letting him sit on her knees, curling around her. 

"You can't come running to me every time they tease you"

"I can too and I will. Also, it sounds like my diamond isn't going to give me some cheering up cuddles?"

He didn't need to pull out the kitty cat eyes, somehow they were still cute even behind a pair of sunglasses. She groaned before wrapping her arms around him.

"Of course i'm going to geez, just turn down the cute factor a little"

His smile turned smug as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"Sorry Lucy, can't do that. I'm just naturally this pretty"

 _And so humble too._ She snorted as he pulled his tongue out at Gajeel. She wasn't sure what victory he thought he had won over the Iron dragon slayer, but he was probably wrong.

"Well i'm glad to see you've settled right back in here Loke"

Ah right, Erza and Juvia were here too weren't they? She smiled sheepishly at them and gently coerced, ok maybe pushed, Loke into finally getting onto his own chair. He was getting kinda heavy anyway. He pouted at her, upset at the loss of her love but still nodded in the affirmative.

"Yeah, even if I get the feeling someones going to spike my drink with catnip, no one has looked down on me for this. Which I really should have known from the start"

"Well, Fairytail isn't exactly a normal group of people, not what you're used to..."

"And Juvia thinks Lucy isn't the type of owner you're used to either"

The smile he gave was blinding at that, she had to look away before she ended up making a fool of herself.

"Yeah that's true. Being around her makes me so much better. Accepting my feline self has given me so much more energy too, like i'm not holding anything back"

She bit her lip, holding nothing back huh? That could be troublesome, he had a tendency to get too excited.

"Oh really? Even during...certain activities?"

There was a pause, had Erza read her mind?! Before Loke finally coughed, incredulous and concerned. 

"...Erza are you drunk too?"

"I've had a glass or two but i'm not drunk"

It seemed enough to lower her inhibitions at least, oh joy. Still Loke was grinning, leaning forward slightly as if he was going to let them all in on a big secret.

"I assume you're asking if I am as...rambunctious as a lion, and well. That's for Lucy to know and experience, not you, sorry"

Erza laughed at his response and she felt herself tense up, could Loke not encourage her? That would be absolutely swell, flashbacks to the Kings game popped up in her mind and she shuddered. A drunk Erza and Loke teaming up would be a terrifying force of nature, one she hoped she never had to deal with. This conversation was already going into uncomfortable territory as it was.

"Well aren't you a naughty Lion? Maybe Lucy should colla-"

"Ah! Lets go Loke, surely you could use a cat nap right? That's a thing felines do! Let's go find you a bit of sunlight"

She had shot up, knowing exactly what Erza was going to say and not liking one bit of it. He was giving her a strange look but still let her pull him off his seat. It suddenly seemed to click in his mind what was going to be said and his confusion slowly morphed into a smirk.

"Oh? Maybe you'll want to 'nap' with me eh Lucy?"

Embarrassment rushed hot through her veins, staining her face a dark red as she glared up at him.

"N-no! Of course not! Maybe I should have just let you flounder by yourself instead of giving you support, like you're currently doing to me!"

She huffed, mortified at his ability to just say lewd things out loud. Kissing and holding each other in public was one thing, but insinuating...that kind of stuff in public, where other people could hear him and think things about them. Now that was a whole different ball game. She spun on her heel to leave when she felt his hand in hers, as he pulled her back to him.

"I'm sorry Lucy, I got a bit carried away in my happiness, that was an amazing image that conjured in my brain, but sill, I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"

She sighed as his little cat pout started up and she felt her resistance already slipping through her fingers. Her eyes darted around the room, trying to keep herself from looking at him. Instead, she spotted Erza, sporting a teasing smile.

"You know Lucy, if you forgive a cat, you should give it physical attention. Just to let it know you're alright with it again"

"Erza, you've been talking to Milliana too much"

"No, no, please, let her continue. What's this about giving cats a lot of loving?"

A sharp slap to the shoulder shut him up quick, really would he ever learn?

"Oh come off it Loke, stop that before I take one of your nine lives"

He chuckled, a soft and sweet sound. She practically melted at the pure mirth in his eyes, why was she angry at this guy again?

"Oh but Lucy, all nine of my lives are already yours. You may do what you wish with them and with me"

"Ok, maybe you two should get a room" 

"Juvia agrees Erza, it's so lovely how sweet they are. Not as sweet as when Gray is here though"

"That's not what I meant Juvia"

"I can't help it, I want to show my lioness off to the world, can you truly blame me?"

Ah, that's why, because he was acting like the cat that had got the cream. She mused it over as conversation between her friends started up again. Just for today, because he had been such a courageous spirit, she would allow it. She held his hand as they retook their seats, it seemed like she wasn't going anywhere after all, she would just have to deal with her mortification later. She caught Loke's gaze as he chatted to the two other mages, and smiled at him as she remembered the past few weeks. Her married life had definitely gotten more interesting, chaotic even, thanks to Loke freeing himself like this, but, it made the both of them so happy. She had no idea what new discoveries about her friends, or possibly even herself, waited on the horizon, but she looked forward to facing them all together.

As long as these new discoveries had nothing to do with alcohol, she had enough of those mental scars to last a lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I can fully conclude this as done. It somehow gained a plot that I want to explore as it's own story taking place in this feline Loke universe. I guess consider this part one? Though part two will be about Loke going full feral and the consequences of that.  
> Still even with this done Loke's cat behaviours will probably turn up in other fics, I adore them too much to leave them to rest here.  
> Also on the fence about whether to write a quick one shot of a collared Loke, that would be an interesting oneshot to write anyway, my experience with smut is minimal at best, I could try though.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not too sure how long this will be just yet, I just wanted to have some fun writing out Loke cat behaviours.


End file.
